Even if India loses the entire Test series 0-5 to England, Gautam Gambhir’s job as the head coach of the Indian team is safe, according to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Gambhir took over the role last year after Rahul Dravid left after the T20 World Cup win and his appointment was well received after he led KKR to an IPL title. But his first year hasn’t been without its hiccups.
Under Gambhir, India has won only three of 11 Tests, and with India down 0-1 in the five-match Test series in England, there are whispers to change the coaching setup.
One idea being considered is to split the coaching duties, have Gambhir manage the white-ball formats and assign the red-ball team to someone else. This would be a departure from the way Indian cricket works as the BCCI has generally avoided split roles for both captaincy and coaching.
A BCCI source mentioned that this option was discussed internally after India’s loss in Australia in the BGT earlier this year. But the board decided to stick with the existing structure instead of making changes.
Gambhir is doing well with a young team. When you are rebuilding, you don’t always get the results you want. Australia and England both had tough times during their transitions. So, it’s too soon to judge Gambhir. We have four more Tests in England and we hope we can improve. After that we will re-evaluate the situation. He (Gambhir) has the full confidence of the board, a BCCI official told InsideSport.
Though the BCCI is behind him, the England Test series is being watched closely. If India wins, draws or loses by a small margin, Gambhir’s red-ball team may still be seen as good enough.
For now, Gambhir will continue to be the head coach in all formats, his contract running till the end of 2027 World Cup.
